


The Five Times Bokuto Falls in Love

by BanillaLaine



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi is not dumb, Angst is not my thing, Bokuto is just as clueless, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25663954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanillaLaine/pseuds/BanillaLaine
Summary: There are at least five times in which Bokuto falls in love with Akaashi and doesn't realize it.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 3
Kudos: 76





	The Five Times Bokuto Falls in Love

The First Time

Bokuto Koutarou is—to say the least—a forgetful person. So, it’s not a surprise to his the rest of the Fukurodani volleyball when he realized he forgot to bring his kneepads to their practice match against Nekoma. 

“I can’t believe I forgot my kneepads!” Bokuto wails.

“Check your bag again. The last time they were tucked underneath your shoes,” Konoha says, trying to calm Bokuto before he swings into emo mode. 

“I did!”

“Really? I didn’t see you. Check again.”

Bokuto fiercely digs into his bag. When he realizes he truly forgot his kneepads, he flips his bag over and spills its contents on the floor.

“Bokuto-san! Put your things back into your bag! This is not our gym!” Kaori scolds him. “Besides, it’s okay if you don’t wear them once. If anything happens, we’ll just substitute someone else in for you. Don’t be mad. It’s only a practice match.”

She walks away, tending to the other members before the practice match began. Grumbling under his breath, Bokuto stuffs his bag. It’s only a practice match, he tells himself. But he knows better. Even if it was a practice match, Bokuto always wants to do his best at volleyball. He thrives on each spike and serve. He loves seeing the enraged faces on his opponents whenever he makes an unbelievable spike on the court. But most of all, he loves the feeling of his blood pumping through his veins, screaming at him to do whatever it takes to win. 

“Bokuto-san,” a calm voice says as it approaches him on the ground.

Nearly done stuffing his bag, Bokuto looks up. It’s Akaashi already wearing his practice jersey. His face composed as ever. 

“Here,” he offers something to Bokuto in his hand. Surprised, Bokuto blinks his eyes rapidly. In Akaashi’s hand is a pair of kneepads, the exact size of the ones Bokuto wears.

“I figured something like this will happen one day. I keep a pair for you in my bag in case you forget to bring yours,” Akaashi says. “Take it.”

Bokuto is too stunned to move. Finally, he scrambles to his feet and lifts Akaashi joyfully in the air.

“Thank you so so much, Akaashi!” Bokuto shrieks happily, crushing Akaashi in his embrace. 

It wasn’t that hard to notice, so Bokuto sees the faint blush on Akaashi’s cheeks as he gently places him down.

“You better watch out Bokuto-san,” says Konoha. “Not everyone is willing to do what Akaashi does for you.”

Bokuto gives Konoha a questioning stare while Akaashi tries to regain control of the color on his face.

The Second Time

Bokuto looks forward to afternoon practice each day. Each day, he works on something new. Sometimes, he practices his spiking, or he keeps serving until he feels satisfied. Today though, the whole Fukurodani team is jogging around town. There is a set route they always take, but Bokuto finds himself lost each time. He may be forgetful, but he doesn’t get lost because he can’t remember the route. Rather, he overdoes it. He runs wildly without care, relishing in the pain swelling in his legs and the shortness of his breath.

At some point, he stops. Hands on his knees, his chest quickly rises and falls in an attempt to catch up to his speeding heart. Bokuto throws his head up to stare at the sky. Blue and vast, a few clouds roll away into the horizon.

Bokuto remembers the day he was left behind by his former teammates. Once again, he had gone too fast and too far. No one tried to keep up with him. He closes his eyes, focusing on the sweat dripping down his face and body. He shivers. He doesn’t enjoy thinking about them. He doesn’t like the fact they resented him because he was too energetic and too loud. These things are parts of him, so how could he abandon himself just to be on better terms with them?

“Bokuto-san!”

Bokuto lowers his gaze. He finds himself staring at Akaashi who was jogging at a steady pace.

“Bokuto-san, how many times have I told you to not run off? If you want to run off on your own, then please do so on your own time,” Akaashi says exasperated.

Bokuto realizes something important. His former teammates may have abandoned him, but Akaashi never has. Each time Bokuto runs off without thinking, Akaashi manages to find him. It doesn’t matter how far or how long Bokuto runs, Akaashi is always there to chide him. Each time, he leads Bokuto back to the gym where the rest of team are waiting for them. Amazed, Bokuto stares at Akaashi.

“Bokuto-san? Are you listening to me?” Akaashi asks concerned. He lifts his hand to Bokuto’s forehead, checking to see if he has a fever. 

Bokuto snaps out of his reverie and jumps back.

“Bokuto-san, are you okay?”

“Ye-ye-yes!” Bokuto shouts.

“Then let’s go back. Everyone else is waiting for us at the gym,” Akaashi says as he tugs Bokuto by his forearm. The warmth of his hand spreading everywhere, taking hold of Bokuto’s heart. 

The Third Time

They say idiots can’t catch colds, but Bokuto may be the exception. After playing too long in the rain with the neighborhood kids, Bokuto finds himself stuck at home with one. He falls in and out of consciousness, jerking viciously awake each time. A stock of cold patches and water bottles sit by his table, only there because he was tired of lugging them into his room. His mother would typically bring them to him whenever he fell sick, but she is away on a business trip and wouldn’t be back anytime soon. So, Bokuto lays in his bed a bit more miserable than usual.

The fifth time Bokuto wakes, sleep does not come to him easily. He remembers how his mother would check on him every so often when he was sick. Each time, she would bring him a cooling compress and little snacks for him, and then they would talk. Bokuto would tell her about his recent or favorite volleyball matches, and she would complain about how exhausting yet fulfilling her work was. Even though he would always tell her about the same matches, she praised him each time. Even though she would always complain to her son about the same things, he always encouraged her to let it out. Bokuto smiles at their memories, but it doesn’t last long. With each passing moment, he wishes his mom was here. Not out working some project for her company, but here at home with him. 

At this point, Bokuto wishes someone was here for him. He thinks of his teammates—and then of Akaashi. He considers texting the setter just to check what he is up to, but then he remembers the last time he met him it didn’t end well. Against Akaashi’s repeated warnings, Bokuto tried to back flip off the stairs near the gym and unfortunately landed on the setter. Akaashi wouldn’t speak to him for the rest of the afternoon. The next day, Bokuto didn’t have to be told that Akaashi was still mad at him—the icy stare he gave him spoke volumes. Looking back, Bokuto realizes he caused much trouble for Akaashi. He would always deal with his mood swings, concocting new ways to get him out of his emo mode. Bokuto would always beg him to practice spiking with him even though he was exhausted. Akaashi would apologize to other teams for him if he happened to cause unnecessary trouble. The more he thought about it, the more weight piles onto his mind. 

Before his mood worsened, his cellphone rings. Bokuto reaches out for his phone and sees it is Akaashi calling him. He picks it up, but Akaashi is swift to speak before he could utter a word.

“Bokuto-san, it’s Akaashi. I’m here in front of your door. Come down and let me in.”

Bewildered, Bokuto screeches, “What?”

“I am here in front of your door. Come down and let me in,” Akaashi replies patiently (but Bokuto can still hear the slight exasperation in his voice).

Without delay, Bokuto frantically pulls a shirt over his head while dashing out of his room. He runs down the staircase but is hit with a bout of nausea. He trips unceremoniously over his feet and lands on his butt at the bottom of the stairs. Gently caressing his butt (and everywhere else that hurt), Bokuto hurriedly opens the door. Outside, Akaashi stands underneath the sun with a full grocery bag in one hand and his bag slung around the other.

“I brought you some medicine and snacks,” Akaashi held out the hand with the overstuffed plastic bag.

Bokuto stares dumbstruck. He takes it from Akaashi’s hand and looks inside. He sees different types of medicine and his favorite snacks. 

“I didn’t know what kind of sickness you have, so I just bought what I saw” Akaashi slowly looks down at his feet, a soft red tinge brushing his cheeks. Bokuto thinks he almost looks shy and—with slight surprise—definitely adorable. “I’m sorry I overreacted to you that day,” Akaashi continues. “I should have accepted that you would have done it even if I told you not to.”

“N-n-no!” Bokuto says. “I should’ve listened to you that time. I’m sorry about, you know, falling on you. I’ll try to control myself better.”

Akaashi chuckles, “I don’t think that’s possible, Bokuto-san.”

“You don’t know until I’ve tried!”

“And I know your attempts will end in vain.”

Their light-hearted conversation carries on as Bokuto welcomes Akaashi into his house. Akaashi ushers Bokuto into his room, ordering him to lay in bed while he checks his temperature. Akaashi stays until the late hours of night, chatting with Bokuto. They talk about their upcoming matches, volleyball strategies, and their favorite volleyball plays by their favorite volleyball pros. Akaashi even tells him how to cook rice porridge in the event Bokuto gets sick again. But Bokuto thinks he would rather have Akaashi come back to cook it for him.

The Fourth Time

This is the first time Bokuto has been this upset with himself in a while. The Nekoma volleyball team came over for some practice matches with them. Bokuto was confident they could win all the matches. After all, he had been practicing his spikes with Akaashi all week, but this time Kuroo and his gloomy setter came with a new strategy to block most of his spikes. Nekoma won a few of the matches, but Fukurodani took most of them. This did nothing to console Bokuto. Frustrated, he went full emo mode. He hid in the storage, curling himself into a ball. Most of the team didn’t bother him, thinking that Bokuto would eventually pull himself back together. But as they were putting the volleyballs away, they realize Bokuto is still stuck in the same position they left him in. The team glances at Akaashi who nods in return.

Please, leave him to me.

The rest of the team packs up and escapes, leaving Akaashi and Bokuto alone in the gym. Akaashi tentatively approaches Bokuto. 

“Bokuto-san.”

The spiky-haired captain grunts and then childishly turns away from him.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says more firmly than before.

Akaashi only hears another grunt in reply.

“Bokuto-san, I know you’re in a bad mood right now,” Akaashi continues. “But acting up like this will not change the fact that you sucked today.”

Hurt, Bokuto throws a furious stare Akaashi’s way.

“You cannot keep acting selfishly like this. Once you graduate, you’ll become a new member of some new volleyball team who will not accept this kind of behavior.” 

The expression on Bokuto’s face softens. Akaashi approaches him, resting gentle hands on both of Bokuto’s shoulders.

“I know it’s our fault for spoiling you like this, but it is absolutely necessary for you to learn how to pull yourself together. You’ll face even more formidable opponents in the professional league. Instead of uselessly wasting your time like this, you need to use it to get better. Use the time and energy you spend moping to practice. Use it to think of new strategies, so you won’t be blocked in the future.That way no one can stand in your way, and you’ll be the last one standing on the court.”

Before Bokuto could respond, he raises his head to meet Akaashi’s eyes. Akaashi focuses solely on Bokuto, his eyes conveying the acute trust and overwhelming confidence he holds for his captain. Bokuto gawks at his setter in shock. 

“I know you can do it, Bokuto-san. You may give us—me—a difficult time, but I believe you have the potential to become one of the greatest volleyball players I have ever seen. And I’ll support you in every step you take.”

The unwavering emotions never falters in Akaashi’s eyes, piercing Bokuto’s soul and occupying a firm place in his heart. He knows Akaashi is telling the truth. The look in his eyes and the words from his heart say it all.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Bokuto gives Akaashi a sharp nod. 

“Good. Now, let’s practice,” says Akaashi as he reaches a hand out for Bokuto.

With another sharp nod, Bokuto holds onto Akaashi’s hand as he leads him out of the storage and to the court.

(They practice for a long time: the security guard kicks them out at 11:30 pm. Bokuto buys Akaashi a bag full of onigiri at a nearby convenience store. Akaashi buys them popsicles to eat as they walk home.)

The Fifth Time

The Spring Tournament came and went with Fukurodani reaching the finals. They didn’t win, but that doesn’t mean Bokuto’s volleyball career was gonna end anytime soon. He was already being scouted by teams all over Japan. 

Despite this piece of comfort, Bokuto still has to face one more obstacle before graduating: final exams. Therefore, he finds himself with Akaashi at the school’s library studying for his upcoming math exam. He desperately needs to pass his exam with at least a 90% to graduate, so he begs Akaashi for his help.

Right now, he needs to go over the problems Akaashi made for him, but he can’t seem to concentrate. The only thing he sees right now is Akaashi. 

Akaashi is sitting in front of him with Bokuto’s textbook open to the latest lesson, diligently taking notes and trying to understand it. Sometimes Bokuto forgets Akaashi is an underclassmen, but there’s something satisfying about sitting with Akaashi—being alone with him. Some people tell him Akaashi is too distant and cold to talk to—that he’s too silent. Of course, Akaashi is silent, but not the kind of silent in which Bokuto is constantly tempted to break. Rather, it’s the kind of silent that brings peace and warmth. When he looks at Akaashi, Bokuto is reminded of a cool summer’s day, relaxing in the shade with your hands behind your head looking up at a clear, blue sky. The only thing that can be heard is the faraway chirps of cicadas hiding in the bushes. Akaashi radiates the peace and warmth of a cool summer’s day. Bokuto doesn’t understand why people think Akaashi is a withdrawn person. If anything, he accepts everything that Bokuto is: his recklessness, his confidence, his stubbornness, everything. 

Not everyone is willing to do what Akaashi does for you.

A sudden click goes off in Bokuto’s head. Of course, how could he have not noticed? All the things Akaashi does for him—packing spare kneepads, searching for him during their runs, bringing medicine and snacks when he’s sick, even cheering him up every time he gets dejected—everything he does, no one else does for him. These are things Akaashi does solely for him.

The gears in Bokuto’s head begin to turn rapidly, picking up speed at the same pace as his heart rate. Why does Akaashi do these things for him? Is it because he acts too much like a child? But then, he could just scold him just like Konoha and the rest of the third years on the team. Is it because they were friends? But none of his friends ever do things like this for him. Not to this extent. 

Bokuto’s heart rate speeds up, color flaring on his cheeks. 

Then does this mean he likes me?

Bokuto stares at Akaashi’s tense form. His eyebrows furrow at a particularly difficult problem. His teeth biting down on his lips in concentration. His hand playing with his fingers as he tries to understand how to calculate a derivative. Bokuto wants to tell him he doesn’t have to try so hard.

“…Akaashi.”

The setter hums in acknowledgment.

“If it’s too hard for you, then I can ask someone else to tutor me.”

Swifly, Akaashi raises his gaze to meet Bokuto’s eyes, “what do you mean?”

Bokuto awkwardly shuffles in his seat, “I mean, you want to stop, then we can stop. I’ll just find someone else to teach me.”

Akaashi shakes his head slowly, “It’s okay, Bokuto-san. I’m fine. I’m merely trying to understand this concept.”

“But don’t you want to, I don’t know, do something else other than this? It’s a beautiful day, and you don’t have to spend your time in here,” says Bokuto. He knows for sure he wouldn’t spend his time cooped up in the library. 

Akaashi smiles and says, “I know, but I want to spend it with you.”

If Bokuto thought his heart couldn’t beat any faster, then he was wrong. The gentle smile on Akaashi’s face sends his heart soaring. 

One More Time

Time has passed since graduation. Bokuto finds himself settled into a welcoming professional team with new teammates and new opponents. He doesn’t throw any tantrums any more, directing all his energy to sharpening his skills. After all, he couldn’t afford to disappoint a certain someone who kept up with (and tried to attend) all of his matches.

It was currently summer, and Konoha invited his former teammates to his home in the country. It has been a while since they went separate ways, so they agreed to this vacation to catch up with each other. Bokuto was excited to meet his former teammates again, but he was nervous. Bokuto made a big decision before the vacation: he was finally going to tell Akaashi how he felt. It was hard to find the right time to tell him. Either he was surrounded by people, or Akaashi was busying himself with some other unimportant thing because what could be more important than the thing Bokuto was about to tell him. 

As the hours passed, the anxiety within Bokuto grows larger and larger. When dinner was finally done and everyone separated into smaller groups, Bokuto leads Akaashi away from the house. They don’t walk far, just up the hill behind the house. They lay on top of the hill, talking about meaningless subjects until Bokuto finally musters up the courage to speak.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto begins, sitting up so he can look into his eyes.

A questioning look forming on his face, Akaashi replies, “yes, Bokuto-san?”

Before he could utter something insanely stupid, Bokuto confesses, “I like you.”

Akaashi’s eyes widen slightly. He opened his mouth to speak, but Bokuto continues on, “I think I’ve liked you since—since you gave me spare kneepads—maybe even before that. You don’t have to say anything. Or even accept me. At all—or ever, actually. I just wanted you to know.” Bokuto hangs his head in silence, preparing his heart and soul for an immediate rejection. 

But it never came. Instead, Bokuto feels a calloused hand caress the side of his face. He lifts his eyes to meet Akaashi’s steadfast gaze.

“I know, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto lurches back in surprise, nearly yelling, “you knew? How?”

“It wasn’t that hard to figure out,” Akaashi chuckles. “You don’t exactly hide how you’re feeling, Bokuto-san.”

“Since when did you figure it out?”

“It’s been a while.”

“How long?”

“A few months.”

“What?”

Akaashi laughs at Bokuto’s shocked expression. Bokuto pouts, “so? Are we still friends then Akaashi?”

Akaashi looks at Bokuto with his trademarked exasperated expression. He replies, “Really, Bokuto-san?”

Bokuto whines, “what?”

Akaashi smiles, leaning his head closer and closer to Bokuto’s. Shocked once again, Bokuto keeps still. He feels the warmth of Akaashi’s lips pressed onto his own, and then he closes his eyes. 

Akaashi pulls away slowly then asks, “do friends do that with each other Bokuto-san?”

Once again, Bokuto finds himself overwhelmed with emotion. He shakes his head furiously. 

“Do you want to continue doing this with me?”

Bokuto firmly nods his yes still unable to find words to convey his sheer happiness.

“Then, become my boyfriend Bokuto-san.”

No other words were needed. Akaashi took Bokuto’s hand in his own, the warmth of this small gesture spreading throughout their bodies.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my first ever fanfiction! ^ω^  
> It's a bit short, but I really wanted to share how much I love this ship.  
> I hope you enjoyed reading it, as much as I enjoyed making it! <3


End file.
